By Mike Ojo
The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos Tuesday sentenced one Courage Ipaka to two years imprisonment for duping a United States citizen Mrs Yvelte M. Thompson of $53,000 by impersonating Nigerian musician Chinedu Okoli popularly known as Flavour N’abania.
Justice Dehinde Isaac Dipeolu convicted Ipaka following his plea of guilty to a two-count charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Earlier, prosecution counsel Suleiman Suleiman led EFCC investigator Azibagiri Dan Ekpar in evidence against the defendant.
The witness told the court that Ipaka impersonated Flavour by pledging to organise shows in the United States of America and receiving payment through his Bitcoin wallets.
Ekpar explained that the EFCC got wind of the fraud following a petition written by one Eyitayo Tolulope Abiodun and others on behalf of the victim.
He said: “We invited Flavour who honoured the invitation and claimed innocence of the allegations. Upon investigation, we discovered that one Ipaka Courage who lives in Benin City was the perpetrator.
“We invited the defendant, and he admitted in his statement that he impersonated Flavour by obtaining the sum of $53,000 from a woman who is a United States Citizen in 2021.
“He wired the funds through Bitcoin wallets and converted them in his Access Bank account where he received the value in Naira.
“The sum of N7.9m Naira was recovered from the defendant through Zenith and Access Bank manager’s cheques.”
Following the defendant’s guilty plea and upon reviewing the prosecution’s evidence against him, Justice Dipeolu sentenced Ipaka to two years imprisonment but with an option of a fine of N2 million.
The judge also forfeited the sum of N7.9m to Mrs Thompson.
Counts 1 and 2 of the charge read:
That you, IKPAKA COURAGE sometime in April 2021 in Lagos. within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court directly made a false statement wherein you held yourself out as a Nigerian entertainer by name “Chinedu Okoli a.k.a. Flavour N’abania” on your Telegram Account, knowing same to be false and with intent that the representation is relied upon for the purpose of procuring the issuance of financial instruments to yourself and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22(3) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition and Prevention etc} Act, 2015.
“That you, IKPAKA COURAGE sometime in April 2021 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court indirectly retained the sum of $53,000 in your Access Bank Pic account number 0108866415 which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful activity to wit: dishonest conversion of the said sum, property of Mrs Yvelte M. Thompson and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(G) and punishable under section 18 {3} of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022
